


The Edge of Night

by stepOnMeZenos



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Au Ra Xaela Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Buduga Tribe (Final Fantasy XIV), Buduga Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Established Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light, Headcanon: The Buduga go full nude among themselves, M/M, Meeting the Family, Zenos yae Galvus POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stepOnMeZenos/pseuds/stepOnMeZenos
Summary: Sorkhatu takes Zenos to meet his family.
Relationships: Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26
Collections: Gen Prompt Bingo Round 19





	The Edge of Night

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Light Pollution prompt.
> 
> I wasn't planning on publishing this before January, but in light of the recent fandom wank over people shipping their WoLs with Zenos, it felt appropriate to do it now.

Flickering fires lit up the Buduga camp. Sorkhatu's magic had made them flare up quickly and brightly, but even so, they created naught more than a tiny bubble of light holding the darkness at bay. Even that bubble seemed fragile; deep shadows shrouded the camp outside of it, as if waiting to pounce on those inside. 

In contrast to that, the Buduga cheered and whooped as a pair of them wrestled by the fire, close enough that sparks occasionally landed on their bare skin. If they weren't careful, they would risk rolling into the flames; not that it looked like they cared about that. One Xaela held the other in a headlock. When his captive yanked his head back and collided with his face, he recoiled. How his hair didn't catch fire, Zenos didn't know. Maybe Xaela were fireproof. Sorkhatu had certainly never scorched himself on his own flames. 

Speaking of…

Sorkhatu sat down on the ground next to him and held out a meat skewer. Some tribe members were cooking them over at a different, smaller fire. The smell had been wafting over for a while. Apparently, they were finally done.

“You did not have a hand in grilling these?“

Sorkhatu rolled his eyes. “Even I could manage to hold meat over a fire. But no, I did not.“ 

Thus satisfied, Zenos accepted the skewer and tore a strip of meat off with his teeth. How refreshing, to be among people who didn't at all care about silly things like table manners. Nobody looked askance at him for it, while trying and failing to hide their dismay. In fact, nobody was looking at him at all, aside from Sorkhatu. They had accepted Sorkhatu bringing him home as his partner shockingly well. 

The spices the meat had been seasoned with were unfamiliar to Zenos' tongue, but it tasted alright. As always, he didn't much care as to what he was eating, as long as it was filling. Sorkhatu, on the other hand, was digging in with relish. He did often speak of missing the food of his homeland… 

Next to the fire, one of the Buduga had evidently managed to browbeat the other into submission. Whooping, he jumped up and did a victory lap around the camp, applauded by the onlookers. Eventually, he plopped down next to Sorkhatu and leaned forwards, eyeing Zenos. “Heeey, Sorkhatu. You went and found yourself a fine man, I see.“

Zenos didn't miss that the Xaela's gaze wandered down to his loins, bare as they were. The Buduga eschewed clothing when among themselves, and he had seen no reason not to go along with it. If nothing else, Sorkhatu enjoyed looking as well. As did Zenos, frankly. The seemingly delicate yet tough scales dotting Sorkhatu's naked body were a delight to see, as always.

“Back off, Ilugei,“ Sorkhatu said with a lopsided grin. “I'm not sharing.“ 

This Ilugei wasn't the only one who had made that insinuation. It appeared that open relationships were quite normal among the Buduga, though none had pushed when Sorkhatu had declined. 

“Alright, alright.“ Ilugei laughed. “I won't poach. Besides, I was betting on you finding someone while you were away.“

“You guys were betting on that?“

“Of course we were—“ Before Ilugei could finish, his challenger tackled him from the side, wrapping his arms around him in a bear hug.

“So you think you get to go around and flirt with strangers just because you beat me this one time? Shame on you, shame on you!“ But the challenger's voice held no malice.

Ilugei twisted around and cupped his face. “Why, one might almost think _you_ want to be flirted with.“

“Perish the thought!“ 

Then they kissed.

Zenos eyed them for a moment, unaccustomed to the raw passion on display. Something like this would never have occurred in Garlemald's upper society, at least not in public. In the end, it was rather boring to watch, however. Their clumsy wrestling match had not been of particular interest either, but it had at least held some manner of spark… 

“Find your own spot,“ Sorkhatu said after glancing at Zenos. “I don't need you having sex while practically sitting _on_ me.“

Laughing, the two Xaela strolled off into the darkness, until Zenos couldn't see a trace of them anymore. It didn't take long for them to leave this fragile bubble of light at all…

“Better?“

“What do you mean?“ Zenos asked. 

Sorkhatu shrugged. “You looked uncomfortable. Just because casual sex is common here doesn't mean they have to do it on top of another couple.“ 

_Couple._ What a strange way of thinking about Sorkhatu and himself, but it was true. Growing up, it had always been clear to him that he would end up in an arranged marriage to produce an heir, and it had filled him with the same tedious annoyance everything else had. This… this was so much better. 

“I did not feel uncomfortable. I am merely unused to such displays.“ 

“It must be quite the culture shock for you.“

“You warned me about it,“ Zenos said before finishing off the last of his meat skewer. Sorkhatu had described some of the ways in which the Buduga were likely different from other peoples Zenos had encountered. The nudism was, of course, the biggest departure from what he knew. None of it bothered him, though. It didn't matter _where_ he was, provided that Sorkhatu was with him. These people were no better or worse than the Eorzeans.

Sorkhatu shrugged. “Words are one thing. Experiencing it for yourself is another. I'm glad you're adjusting well to it. I… would have been sad if you hadn't gotten along with my family.“ 

More wrestling matches had broken out on the other side of the fire. At least one of them looked more serious than the play-fighting displayed earlier, though they weren't going at it with the intent to kill, and so it wasn't interesting either. 

Was he getting along with the Buduga tribe? They'd welcomed him with raucous cheer, and had only seemed happier when he had easily defeated one of their own in combat. They seemed to value strength in combat, these Xaela… but without the stranglehold of all the ridiculous expectations Garlemald placed on their own. Indeed, they seemed refreshingly… uncomplicated. 

Did he like them? Not particularly, not in the way he liked Sorkhatu or even in the way he liked his swords; but they were tolerable, and he would put up with far more adverse conditions for Sorkhatu, if he needed to. 

Besides, there was something about this wild, untamed land. On virtue of his position he had never had much leisure to go for the _truly_ untouched lands of this star; once or twice he had been dispatched to eliminate rebels hiding out in the more rural regions of the empire, but it did not compare to this. 

“It may be the darkness,“ he mused aloud.

“What?“

“I am considering what it is that draws me to this land,“ Zenos said. “I had not noticed it during the night we stayed in—Reunion, was it? Out here, the nights are impenetrably dark...“ 

Sorkhatu glanced at the fire, then at the long shadows fading into the night. “I had not thought you would be bothered by that. Doesn't Garlemald have nights that last for weeks in winter?“

So it had. This far north, the sun did not rise for weeks on end during that part of the year. It only added to the struggle against the unforgiving winters his people had been forced to contend with.

“I'm not bothered,“ he answered. “However, I am twenty and seven winters old. By the time I was born, Garlemald had long been outfitted with magitek lights that never dim. The capital's streets never go dark, sun or no sun.“ He gazed upwards at the stars. The fire had made them less visible, but they seemed so vivid here, so unlike the night sky over the capital. He had marched through Garlemald's icy wastes at night once or twice, mostly as part of his survival training, but by chance, it had always been too cloudy to see many stars. Would it have looked the same as here out there? 

“Garlemald is like a fortress of light,“ he continued. “A bulwark with fortified walls against the darkness. Here, it feels as if the darkness is but two steps away, held at bay only with a single fire that could be extinguished so easily.“ 

“I suppose,“ Sorkhatu said. “I have spent nights out on the steppe without a fire. It is certainly an experience, being alone for malms on end in the dark...“ 

“What reason would _you_ have to go without a fire?“ Zenos knew better than most that Sorkhatu was a master of the element, capable of making the flames dance to his will even under the worst of circumstances. He had seen him build a pyre in a torrential downpour before, fortifying it with the force of his magic until it burned bright and hot despite the rain drumming down on it. 

Sorkhatu fell silent for a few seconds. There was darkness lurking in his past, too. Sometimes Zenos touched on it by accident, and then a shadow crept over his face. To this day, Zenos did not understand the power these memories had over him. 'Twas all in the past, and he had come out of it hale and whole, but even so, it seemed he still could not escape them. Zenos had offered to punish the insignificant specks who were responsible once. Sorkhatu had soundly rejected the idea, though without giving any reasons, leaving him thoroughly confused.

“Have I said something wrong?“

“No,“ Sorkhatu said. “It's fine, it's a valid question. I did bring it up first. Will you forgive me if I decline to answer?“ 

“You need not ask forgiveness.“ Zenos wrapped an arm around Sorkhatu. Previous experience indicated that it helped when he was in one of these moods. And indeed, Sorkhatu leaned against him immediately. 

For a while, they sat in silence, watching the flames eat at the logs stacked up in the middle of the camp. Compared to magitek lanterns, it was an inefficient method of producing light. The few youths in the camp were tasked with supplying additional logs as needed, whereas the lanterns in Garlemald were on a central supply system that largely worked automatically, provided the ceruleum refineries functioned properly. Even so… he liked this better, ultimately. 

“How about,“ Sorkhatu said eventually, “I teach you a Xaela dance?“

“I have little and less experience with dancing.“ 

“You're also the most graceful person I know if you make an effort. You'll out-dance half the camp in no time.“ Sorkhatu looked up at him. “If you'd rather not, I won't ask again, of course.“

The truth was that he hardly cared. Dancing was not something he had any interest in, but neither did he hold any opposition to the concept. “Whyever not?“ he said. “I see no reason to deny you. Come, Sorkhatu. Teach me this dance.“ He rose and pulled Sorkhatu up with him. They left the fire behind and entered the dim zone between light and dark, where Sorkhatu patiently showed him step after step.

As expected, it wasn't very interesting. 

It brought a smile to Sorkhatu's face, however, and something about this—about dancing on the edge of the night—felt just right. He would not be able to put into words why, but perhaps, he thought, words were unneeded here and now, as he held Sorkhatu's hand and wove in and out of the light.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments appreciated.


End file.
